Pixels

Review by Honey B

Director: Chris ColumbusCast: Adam Sandler, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad, Kevin James, Michelle MonaghanPlot: As kids in the 1980s, Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler), Will Cooper (Kevin James), Ludlow Lamonsoff (Josh Gad), and Eddie "The Fire Blaster" Plant (Peter Dinklage) saved the world thousands of times - at 25 cents a game in the video arcades. Now, they're going to have to do it for real. In Pixels, when intergalactic aliens discover video feeds of classic arcade games and misinterpret them as a declaration of war, they attack the Earth, using the video games as the models for their assaults. Now U.S. President Cooper must call on his old-school arcade friends to save the world from being destroyed by PAC-MAN, Donkey Kong, Galaga, Centipede, and Space Invaders. Joining them is Lt. Col. Violet Van Patten (Michelle Monaghan), a specialist supplying the arcaders with unique weapons to fight the aliens.Verdict: Adam Sandler's movies tend follow a pattern just like an 80s arcade game.His latest offering is no different with Sandler starting off with a flashback to him as a kid as he hangs out in the arcade parlour with his nerdy mate.There's some tension in the form of a video game competition which has consequences on the young Sandler's psyche.Jump forward to the future and Sandler's character Sam Brenner has done little with his life, while his nerdy friend , Will Cooper (Kevin James), is surprisingly the President of the United States of America.James as President is probably more shocking than aliens attacking the planet as 80s video game favourites.With retro arcade characters now attacking, the middle-aged loser is called to action and Brenner has to brush of his gaming skills.This flick starts slow but once the video action starts with a Galaga and centipede attack - it's on like Donkey Kong.There's something thrilling seeing Pac-Man race around the streets of New York. Unfortunately the Pac-Man scene is too short and the audience could have watched more of this thrilling action.Sandler has a few things going for him when it comes to this movie, which include director Chris Columbus and the original short - which was adapted from Patrick Jean's inventive 2010 short film.Columbus keeps much of Sandler and Co's schtick to a happy medium and when the action gets started it's fun and fast.There is a little gem of a film hiding here with some good laughs and action - it's a fun, leave-your-brain-at-the-door holiday popcorn flick.